Machine for making cotters or keys.



H. H. SHELTON.

MACHINE FOR MAKING COTTERS 0R KEYS.

mpuqnmn ruin JULY 24. I914.

3 SHEETSSHEET l.

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H. H. SHELTON.

MACHINE FOR MAKING comns 0a KEYS.

Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24,1914- 1,151,409.

3 SHEETSSHEET Z.

COLUMBIA PLANnuRAPl-I C0.,\VASH|NBTON D c H. H. SHELTON.

MACHINE FOR MAKING COTTERS 0R KEYS.

Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24, IBM.

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Ii /M 4, Mfmw HOWARD n. snnn'roiv, or AKRON. onio.

MACHINE FOR MAKING'COTTERS 0R KEYS.

To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, HO ARD H. Si-inL'roN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Akron, in the county ofSummit and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Making Cotters or Keys,of which the following is a specifi cation.

This invention relates to machines for makingspring cotters or keys, and the object of the invention is to provide a machine which will sever blanks from a continuous strip of wire and by a single stroke of a plunger completely fashion the cotter-s without the necessity of any other operations or the use of any auxiliary mechanism.

The invention contemplates a cuttingma.

nism may be so, fashionedthat the ends of the cotters will be rounded or conoidallyformed during the outing operation thereby obviating the use of a milling machine on the cotter for rounding the points of the same.

The invention further contemplates the provision of improved machinery for male ing cotters,cwhereby after their formation no auxiliary mechanism will be necessary to snugly press the two loose ends thereof to gether.

'll ith the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel con struction, combination and arrangement of parts constituting the invention to be hereinafter specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof whereinis shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications can be resorted to which come within the scope of the matter hereinafter claimed.

In thedrawings 111 which similar refer ence numerals indicate like parts in the different figures. Figure 1, is a view in side elevationof atmachine embodying this invention; Fig. 2, is a plan view of the same; Fig. 3, IS a perspective view of the mechanism employed for severing the continuous Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 2A, 1915. Application filed. July 24,1914. Serial No. 852,963.

wire into blanks; Fig. 4, is a View in side elevation of a gripping jaw for advancing the wire; Fig. 5, is an end elevation of the device shown in 4; Fig. 6, is a perspec-' tive view of the die employed and a blank in operative position just previous to its being formed into a cotter; Fig. 7 is one member of the die shown in Fig. 6 Fig. 8, is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing the blank during the, operation of formingfit into a cotter;

Figs. 9 and 10, are views respectively in side and in transverse section of a portion of the mechanism employed for operating the cotter-forming plunger; Fig. 11, is a perspective view of one form of a finished cotter Fig. 12. is aperspective view of a blank holding device; Figs. 13 and 14:, are perspective views of dies used for forming the blank, the dieshown in Fig. 13 adapted to form" a blank with rounded ends and the die in Fig. 14: adapted to out blanks with obliquely severed ends, and, Fig. 15, is a vertical, transverse, sectional view of the mechaiiisiiif'shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the reference numeral 1 denotes a supporting tableprovided with legs 2 and further provided with a pair of longitudinally-extend journal bearings (not shown) to support a rotatable driving shaft 4:. This shaft bears a belt pulley 5 and a pinion gear 6. Also mounted on the upper part of the arms 3 are a pair of journal bearings 7 and 8 in which is mounted a countershaft 9 provided with a key way 10 at one end and it also bears a spur-gear 11 adaptedto intermesh with the pinion 6 and receive motion therefrom.

Shiftably mounted in slots 12 in the table 1 is a carriage 13 which'is locked against movement through the medium of clamping bolts 14. The carriage 13 bears a projecting arm 15 on which is'a journal bearing '16 adapted to hold the hub 17 of a bevel gear 1801i the shaft 9. i The hub 17 is'prov ided with a key which engages in the spline 10, thereby compelling rotation of the gear 18 in unison with the. shaft 9 while permitting a "longitudinal shifting movement of the gear. The carriage 13 also bears a pair'of journalbearings 19 in which is mounted a shaft 20 at right angles to the shaft 9. This shaft 20 is provided with a gear 21 which intermeshes with the gear 18 and the opposite end of the shaft 20 is provided with a disk iio wheel 22 in the'front face'of which is a radial T-shaped slot 23. The position of the carriage may be shifted'on the table at any time by sliding it on the table 1 and it may be locked in position through the medium of the clamping bolts 14, and at all times the gears 18 and 21 will be in mesh and rotation of the shaft 20 assured. Mounted in the radial slot 23 is the enlarged head of a wrist pin 24. Pivotally attached to the pin 24 is a connecting rod 25. Secured'in spaced relation to the front face of the table 1 is a bar 26 constituting a guide for a gripping member denoted generally by the reference numeral 27. The gripping member (shown best in Figs. 4 and 5) comprises an open faced frame 28 having an upper longitudinal opening 29 and a lower opening 30 separated by a partition 36. The open face of the frame is closed by means of a plate 31. The gripping member is further provided on one face with aprojecting stud 32 to receive one end of the connecting rod 25 and which is held in position-by means of a nut 33. The opening 30 in the grippingmember 27 is adapted to freely receivethe bar 26. In the upper opening 29 ofthe gripping member 27 are a plurality of pairs of spaced pins 34 between. the members of each I pair of which are gripping rollers 35 which constitute one gr pp ng element of the de' vice, the other gripping member being provided by the partition 36 which extends between. the openings 29 and 30. Positioned above the rollers 35 is a horizontally-shiftable cam 37 having a pair of inclined faces 38 arranged to severally engage the rollers 35v and further provided with slots 39 through which extend bolts 40 forguiding and supporting the cam 37 A coiled spring 41 is employed for normally keeping the faces of the cam 37 in frictional engagement with the upper portions of the peripheries of the rollers 35. v

The wire 42 from which the cotters are formed, is fed from a convenient source of supply, such for instance as a spool, through a wire-straightener 43 of ordinary construction, and is advanced intermittently by means of the gripping member 27 as it reciprocates, the gripping member 27 engaging the wire when the former is at the left end of its stroke in Figs. 1 and 2 and pushes forward the wire'a distance which is determined by the position of the wrist pin 24 to vary the length of the stroke of the gripping 7 member 27 r The table 1 is provided adjacent to the gripping member 27 with a slot 44 and mounted on the upper face of the table and above this slot is a base plate 45 for supporting the punching or shearing mechanism for cutting the wire intothe blanks as the wire is advancedrby the gripping member 27. The punching or severing mechanism comprises a frame 46 provided with laterally-extending arms 47 and 48 preferably formed integral with a base plate 45.

Extending through suitable apertures constituting bearings in the lateral members 47 and 48 is a punch or shear 49 nor mally'heldin its upper position by means of a coiled spring 50. Adjacent to the member 46 is a pair of trunnions 51 between the upper ends of which extends a pivot bolt 52 on which is mounted a lever 53 the rear end of which is provided with a roller 54' adapted to run on a cam 56 on the shaft 9. As

the shaft 9 rotates it alternately raises the rear portion of the lever 53 and produces a corresponding downward movement of the front end thereof which is positioned over the punch49 to force the same downwardly.

Suitable adjusting means, such, for instance,

groove so that the wire fed forwardly by the gripping member 27 'passesalong and is guided by grooves 61 and 62 and will be positioned immediately under the punching member 49. The base plate 45 is held in a fixed position through the'medium of a clamping bolt 63 extending through the slot 44 for locking the punch and its accompanying mechanism in a predetermined position. If itis desired to form the ends of the blanks obliquely, as shown in Figs.

6, 8 and 11, a die similar to'the one shown in Figs. 3 and 14 is employed, wherein the notch is V-shaped,but if it is desiredto form the blanks with rounded, tapered or conoidally-fashioned ends, the die is provided with a transverse notch v64 having sides at right angles to the sides of the die and the side walls of the groove 62 are inwardly tapered or conoidally formed at 65 so that as'a punch suitable for passage through the opening 64 during the cutting operation, will also round and taper the ends of the blanks adjacent to the opening 64. V v H s Mounted on the shaft 9' is an eccentric 66 surrounding which is an eccentric strap 67 from which extends a connecting rod 68 the outer end of which is pivotally secured to a in 69 in a cross head 70. This cross head 70 is mounted in suitable guides 71 in a bracket 7 2 attached to one end of the table 1. ,Detachably secured to the cross head 70 is a cotter-forming plunger 73 having a reduced end 74; between the reduced portion 74 and the main portion of theplunger 7 3 is after the cuttingoperation,will lieon the upper face of the table and immediatelylinf front of the guide-block 76 and to hold them against accidental movement, a pair of springs 78 are secured to the guide-block 7 6 by a bolt 79 and the opposite ends 80 of these springs are downwardly-bent and curved to press firmly against the upper faces of the severed blanks and hold them against unintentional movement. Projecting forwardly from the front end of the table 1 is an ofiset 81 provided with a recess 82 and positioned in transverse alinement with the axial line of the plunger 73. Mounted in the recess 82 is a cotter-forming die 83 preferably composed of a pair of similarly-fashioned members with the cotter-forming recess partially disposed in the upper portions of each of them. The die 83 is preferably provided with inclined upper and lower faces Set and when positioned in the recesses the lower portions of the upper inclined faces of the dies are adjacent to the blank held by the springs 80. The die forming recesses in the die members are wider at their rear portions and gradually taper to an approximately cylindrical opening 85 formed in their front faces. Immediately above this opening 85 is a slot 86 communicating with the openings. The con-- formation of the opening 85 and the slot 86 will be approximately similar to the conformation which it is desired to impart to the finished cotter. The side walls and edges of the tapering cotter-forming recess are preferably rounded and their rear portions gradually taper forwardly somewhat conoidally in fashion toward the contracted openings 85. The dies are temporarily held in their seats in the recess 82 through the medium of set screws 87. The, upper face of the ofiset 81 is provided with a pair of apertures on opposite sides of the recess 82 and in these apertures are a pair of L-shaped guiding members 88 which serve to hold the shank ends of the cotters and they are pushed through the contracted portions of the die and hold and guide the same until it has left the machine.

The operation of the device is as follows:

Wire, preferably on a spool, is threaded through the straightener 4:3 in the usual manner and the free end thereof is passed over the partition 36 of the gripping member 27, and under the rollers 35. Motion is then communicated to the device through the medium of the belt pulley which rotates the shaft 9 causing a reciprocal movement of the gripping member 27 which'alternately' grips and pushes forward a determined length of wire over the groovesin the base plate 45 of the punch. As the shaft9 ro tates it actuates the punchthrough the inedium of the mechanism described to sever the advance end of the wire lying in the groove 62 and leaves the projecting blank heldinposition by thesprings 80. Assoon as theblank has been severed from the continuous wire the plunger 73 is moved forward by the eccentric 66 and the shoulder of the plunger will engage the side edge of the blank as shown in Fig. 6. At the time of the engagement of the shoulder with the blank the reduced pin-like portion 74: projects over the upper face of the blank and serves as a mandrel about which the eye or rounded head of the cotter is fashioned. The plunger forces the blank through the die, as clearly shown in Fig. 8 and as it emerges from contact with the die it completely shapes the cotter so that it is a finished product and requires no further or supplemental treatment to make it a marketable product.

It will be noted that if the ends of the blanks are finished obliquely, the ends of the cotters will have a point, as shown in Fig. 11, wherein the cotter is designated by the reference numeral 90. However, if a die blank, such as is shown in Fig. 13, is employed, the ends of the cotter will be rounded as are the common cotters of commerce. By so forming the die 63 the necessity for milling the ends of the finished cotters by a separate tool and thus a separate operation is obviated.

It may be pointed out that contrary to the. customary practice now obtaining where a number of operations are necessary to finish the cotter, each and every stroke of the plunger 73 will produce a finished marketable cotter or key with the interior face of the head thereof properly fashioned by means of the mandrel 7% and exterior thereof by the cylindrical opening 85 and the ends of the cotter will be brought nicely and snugly together as they leave the die and are guided in their movement out of the die by means of the guide members 88.

I claim A machine for making cotters and the like comprising a forming die provided with a tapering recess terminating at one end in an exit opening corresponding in outline to the complete cotter, a wire-feeding device adapted to intermittingly feed wire in front of the entrance opening of said die, means for severing the advanced end of said Wire to thereby provide a blank, means to hold said blank temporarily in position in front of said die opening, a carrying mandrel moving transversely to said blank and arranged to force said blank through said die whereby the blank in a plane is bentat right my hand in presence of twosubscribing witangles to the direction of movement of said nesses.

mandrel he end of said mandrel constitutingmeans about which the eye of the cotter SHELTON' 5 is fashioned during its passage through said Witnesses:

die. a C. E. HUMPHREY,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set A.'L. MoOmN'rooK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for fivecents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. 0.? 

